Authentic Relating & Circling Intensive
Salt Spring Island | September 8-10th | 40 People Max
westcoastcircling.com
In a Nutshell:
Three days of deep diving in authentic human connection with beautiful people, during the end of summer, on the top of a mountain over looking the gulf islands. Camping in the forest, eating delicious catered food, and leveling up in conscious relating with an epic international AR & Circling leader. This is the largest event of it’s kind in Western Canada yet!
What is Authentic Relating?
Authentic Relating, put simply, is a practice of being you. Being real, honest, revealed, and transparent, allowing others to see, hear, and know our inner world. AR experiences are designed to deepen your connection with yourself and others, in an environment where it’s encouraged to express how you really feel. AR is a growing movement with communities around the world gathering to connect and enrich the human experience.
What is Circling?
If Authentic Relating is practicing the punching and kicking moves, Circling is the sparring match. Circling is a relational meditation in which participants share their sensations, emotions, and thoughts in the present moment while in connection with each other. Usually in groups of 4-6, two common types of Circles are a “focused circle” where one person is the centre of attention for up to an hour, revealing their present moment experience in connection with the group that is exploring their world, and “organic circles” where there is no focus person as attention moves around organically, people reveal themselves and follow their curiosity. Circling is a strong practice for deepening intimacy, uncovering relational blindspots, and leveling up EQ/communication skills.
What people are saying…
“My first Circling Immersion was the most potent experience of my adult life. I felt supported showing up in a deep honesty and transparency that I did not know I was capable of. The integration of this experience continues to ripple through all my human connections.”
- Allistair Dell
“My first contact with circling was at a weekend immersion hosted by Garrett Rokosh and Robbie stainton. I had a wonderful experience which would set me on a path to deepen into this practice. It was a weekend that covered the full range of human experience, from a deep sense of connection to intense discomfort. Circling is an excellent opportunity to step beyond social convention and learn more about what is actually happening, in this moment, between you and I. I would recommend this to anyone who craves a clearer lens on relational reality and would choose an uncomfortable truth over a comforting lie every time.
- Foster McGee
“Circling is a space where I consistently feel the most alive, honest and free. It’s a place where I can settle into the comfort of my somatic experience and feel at home in myself. At the same time, I can also choose moments to lean into the bolder edges of my authenticity and take more risks in connection with others. It is one of the few places where I feel safe enough to express dissonance and feel challenging emotions like anger in a clean and embodied way. It’s a precious tool for coming into attunement with a collective and witnessing one another in what’s present here and now.
- Andrea Wiebe
“Garrett creates a clear and inquisitive space. His prompts are evocative, adapted to each situation and bring a sense of ease to participate. Within it, I felt safe to share my heart's content and excited to discover deeper layers of myself.”
- Manuel Matsya
“Authentic relating and circling have been pivotal in my journey of feeling seen and known in the way that my heart has always desired. I never knew how much of a gift it might be to practice making the implicit explicit in a relational context: a recipe for life-altering experiences.”
- Alizah
"My circling immersion experience with Garrett was a worthwhile opportunity to practice and deepen fundamental relational skills that underpin my life. Every time I invest my time in this container, I walk away feeling profoundly connected and better resourced to step into everyday intimacy."
- Patricia Parkinson
"I appreciated Garrett's focused facilitation and his ability to both hold the space of the Circle, while also revealing his own experience in a transparent and vulnerable way. I've experience facilitation with many people before, and can see that Garrett is very intentional and skilled in his ability to support people to go deep and uncover their truth."
- Leo Cheung
Facilitator Team
Alita Watson she/her - Lead Facilitator
Alita was one of 12 students in The Circling Institute’s very first year long Art of Circling course in 2013, and realized quickly that her life would never look the same.
Deeply inspired and forever transformed by original founders of circling, Guy Sengstock and Alexis Shepphard, she left a career in humanitarian aid to help them expand their business, broaden the audience and deepen her mastery as a Circling facilitator.
She spent the next three years as a member of the TCI team in San Francisco, producing events around the globe, apprenticing under her teachers and fostering partnerships aimed to introduce this practice to the corporate space.
Alita went on to pioneer the Embedded Coaching model, a role that is now revolutionizing the HR function and largely founded upon the principles of Circling.
Today, Alita embraces various roles as the CEO of Alma, a fiery mother and wife, aspiring author, facilitator and believer that this practice will change the world.
Garrett Rokosh he/him - Lead Facilitator
Garrett’s authentic relating journey started five years ago when depressed, numb and lonely at the end of business school he found his way into a AR games night. He left that night completely blown open, glowing, with a cathartic sense that those people had got to know him deeper than any of his closest friends. He was hooked.
He devoured an online training with the author of the authentic relating games manual, Sara Ness, then flew to Austin, TX to take her advanced facilitator training which was THE most impactful week of his life. He then moved to Austin for six months to deep dive into these practices and became an apprentice leader on her core training team. Soon after, his focus turned to Circling and led trainings with other top leaders including Jason Diggs, Mark Boughton, and Peter Benjamin. He led the first Circling Immersion in Western Canada, has led nine weekend immersions since then, and mentored several people into facilitating Circling.
Aside from AR & Circling, he just finished a two year deep nature connection program with Wisdom of the Earth Wilderness School, leads a nature mentorship program for teen boys, and is now studying compassionate inquiry with Dr. Gabor Mate. His company, Social Architect brings authentic relating into the corporate world. Some of his clients include Masterclass, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Burning Man and Mindvalley.
Robbie Stainton he/him - Breakout Facilitator
Robbie started practicing and facilitating AR four years ago and founded what is now a thriving AR & Circling community in Victoria. He has completed level 1 & 2 trainings with ART International, led five weekend Circling Immersions, and facilitated AR at various festivals and events around the coast. His 8-months living at a vipassana meditation centre and over 2000 hours of meditation practice have gave him groundedness and clarity of presence to hold space for others in a circling container. Through relational practices, he enjoys experiencing and sharing a more rich, transparent, uninhibited, and engaging way of connecting with others.
Jessamyn Stewart she/her - Breakout Facilitator
Jessamyn has been circling for three years and is a regular facilitator for the weekly Victoria circles. In addition, she hosts a monthly gathering for women and developed a workshop on addressing and healing shame. She is finishing a degree in Social Work at the University of Victoria and moving towards a career in Counselling with an approach that integrates circling skills. As a certified yoga teacher, Jessamyn incorporates meditation techniques in her facilitation with a somatic approach to exploring connection to self and others. Her background as a yoga teacher, workshop facilitator and Social Worker has given her a unique approach to leading circles in compassionate, playful and direct ways. She also practises contact dance and explores nature as a way to connect more deeply with herself and to further develop dynamic awareness of body, mind and spirit. She is passionate about deep listening, and trauma-informed approaches to circling and believes this practice to be a powerful path of transformation and personal liberation.
Ty Cooke he/him - Breakout Facilitator
Ty has participated or facilitated in five circling immersions. His interest in relational unfolding has led him to explore unique uses of circling, including the combination of circling and Men’s work with the creation of men’s circling containers. Preferring Circling Europe's surrendered leadership model, Ty has travelled to the Monastic Academy in Vermont for the Anti-Fragile Heart Retreat, which combines healing and introspective modalities including authentic movement circling, and new fields such as Alethia circling with the Surrendered Leadership model.
Ty has completed the Authentic Relating Training Level 1 with ART International and is also an internal family systems psychedelic practitioner. For the past 15 years he’s been a Vipassana meditator, having sat or served over 30 10-day silent retreats and has an academic background in cognitive anthropology and psychology. A belief that we can help one another towards beauty and goodness simply by revealing ourselves authentically informs Ty’s relational meditation and style of facilitation.
Schedule
Friday September 8th (4PM Start) - Arrive anytime after 12pm to set up your camping gear and hangout. Official start time is 4pm and dinner will be provided in the evening. Programming will include an opening circle, our favourite authentic relating games, orientation to Circling for newbies, and our first Circles together.
Saturday September 9th (All day) - There will be an optional facilitated embodiment practice in the morning (yoga, breathwork, or dance). Breakfast and morning check ins. There will be a mix of different types of Circles all day. Teaching lessons will be chosen based on what is emerging with the group, which may include topics such as The Art of Circling, Withholds, Dissonance, or more. Lunch and dinner provided.
Sunday September 10th (5PM End) - Morning embodiment practice and breakfast. More Circles and emergent teachings. Half the day will be devoted to integration and a closing ritual. For deeper trauma informed integration from the weekend, there will be an option to receive Compassionate Inquiry with a small group. Lunch is provided. Official close and pack up sometime around 4-5pm.
Location | Food | Camping
Location
Our venue is Rhizome Springs, an off grid situation where everyone can camp and live together for the duration of the event. The views are incredible, spirit lake and the ocean are a short drive away. They are presently in terraforming stage. Expect a rugged landscape. The property is 20 min on a logging road which can be driven by regular cars. It’s located 25 min from Fulford Ferry terminal and 40 min from Ganges.
Food
Six meals are included in the tuition.
First meal is dinner on Friday and the last meal is lunch on Sunday. We source from local and organic foods as much as possible. Meals are wholesome, diverse, fresh, yummy and abundant. We consider every food restriction.
Camping
Camping is included in the tuition.
We are on a 40 acre property and there is tons of rugged tent camping spots in the forest. Van camping is also possible. We have showers and use compostable toilets. Spirit lake is a short drive away.
Cabins
The Buddhist Centre located next door is offering simple and modest private cabins to rent.
Price is $65/night.
They include outhouse and hot showers.
Please DO NOT reach out to them directly. Inquire if interested and we will send photos and more details.
